The kitchenette fell deathly silent.

  The air congealed; Skyler heard his heartbeat sprint—We've been exposed.

  He glanced at Lynn; her face was blank while her mind raced:

  If Huang is a Wrath?Beast, I can't win.

  Killing one Beast was doable, but outside stood a hundred "people." Reveal herself and she'd be dead.

  Run?

  Pointless—flee now and she'd still be hunted down in days.

  Her last partner was stronger—and died after slipping once.

  Only one gamble remained.

  "Officer Huang, what brings you here?" Lynn asked after three seconds.

  Huang strolled to the cooler, filled a cup, exposing his back to them.

  Cup filled, he leaned on the counter. "Vivian's case—I'm interviewing those close to her, so I attended the viewing."

  "Any leads?" Skyler asked, feigning concern.

  "Picked up a few hints—can't share." Huang smiled. "By the way, that 'rule' talk earlier sounded interesting."

  Skyler's stomach dropped—no bluffing past this.

  Fine—time to improvise.

  "A trending survival game," Skyler said, glancing at Lynn. "We were discussing gameplay."

  "Oh? Title?"

  "Uh… Monster?Human Family Fun."

  Huang drained his cup, set it aside, and strolled out.

  In that minute Skyler was drenched in sweat.

  "Now what?" he whispered.

  Lynn frowned: "Two options—one, Wrath?Beast testing us; two, a Lost?Beast."

  "Lost?Beast?"

  "They believe they're human, auto?editing truths out."

  "If he's lost, we're safe."

  "I won't bet on it. A Wrath?Beast never shares prey—that's why he waited."

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "He wants the kill to himself," Skyler hissed.

  "Then we silence him," Lynn said, eyes cold.

  10?p.m., Shanqing District police station.

  After the funeral, Officer Huang drove straight back to HQ.

  Lynn and Skyler tailed him by taxi, then camped in a window booth at a café opposite the station.

  They ordered snacks and drinks, pulled out homework—cover while they waited.

  Skyler had balked at murdering a cop, but if Lynn failed, he'd die sooner or later. Better to fight standing.

  "Got questions," he said over orange juice.

  "Shoot." Lynn dissected a mango crêpe like an enemy.

  "Any allies besides me?"

  "Told you—knew two. Both dead."

  "So you've been solo?"

  "Two of us," she said, meaning her other self.

  "…Worry about yourself. If this goes south, I disappear."

  "And me?"

  "No idea. I don't carry dead weight."

  Hours crawled by. At last Huang exited the station.

  He reached his cruiser, froze—the front tire was flat.

  Courtesy of Lynn's remote blade.

  Unfazed, Huang phoned someone, lit a cigarette, crossed the street for another pack.

  Lynn and Skyler shadowed him from fifty metres.

  He cut through a pocket park—shortcut maybe.

  "Chance," Lynn whispered, speeding up.

  "What if it's a trap?" Skyler muttered.

  "Then we'll see who hunts whom."

  The park was a maze of dim lamps and deep shadows.

  Masks and shades on, they slipped behind manicured bushes.

  Lynn raised a hand; an unseen blade jabbed the lamp camera—red LED died.

  "Go distract him—I'll handle the rest."

  Skyler swallowed. "Okay."

  He stepped out, hurried forward. "Officer Huang!"

  Huang paused, looked back. "And you are?"

  Skyler pulled off the mask. "It's me."

  "Skyler? What are you doing out so late?"

  "I remembered a clue about Vivian—wanted to tell you."

  "Oh?" Huang advanced, smiling.

  Suddenly the smile vanished.

  Huang whipped around, pistol clearing his holster in a lightning blur.

  The muzzle leveled at Skyler's brow—

  Zing! A sliver of steel smacked the slide; sparks flew, the bullet veered into turf.

  Lynn burst from cover, flicking three more razor petals to box Huang in.

  Huang's arm snapped up—bang?bang?bang!—hot tracers swatted the blades mid?air.

  "Mediator indeed…" Lynn gritted, covering ten metres in a blink.

  Her hand reached into nothingness—hilt emerged; a 150?cm Tang blade coalesced. "Boundary Edge: Riftsplit!"

  The arc cleaved the night, air tearing like cloth, white fissures trailing.

  Huang chuckled; his left arm burst with scales, bones elongating into a shield that caught the edge.

  Boom! Shockwave snapped cherry branches overhead.

  Seizing the opening, Skyler lunged sideways, smashing a stone at Huang's gun wrist.

  Crack—wrist hair?line fractured; pistol spun away.

  【System: Successful assist. +1 Luck Point】

  Luck = 6 pulsed on HUD.

  Huang roared; black blood oozed. He slapped the ground—vein?like tendrils erupted from asphalt toward Skyler.

  "Down!" Lynn pivoted, blade carving a wind wall that severed the gooey limbs.

  Black blood splattered her arm; it sizzled, corroding skin.

  Heart racing, Skyler saw the hexagram flare; golden lines pooled into his palm—a mini light?blade.

  【Miracle Sigil?Blade (single?use) generated—Luck Trigger】

  Instinct hurled the energy blade.

  The beam lanced through Huang's chest, burning a fist?sized hole.

  He staggered, snarling half?man half?beast, pupils eclipsing red.

  "Fall back!" Lynn hoisted her injured arm, yanking Skyler onto a side path.

  Explosions boomed behind; trunks shattered, then the pursuit waned—Huang wasn't following.

  They burst from the park, collapsed against a wall, gasping.

  Lynn smeared serum on the burn; the sizzling abated.

  "He's not dead," she whispered.

  Skyler stared at the fading sigil shards. "But he's hurt bad."

  "Lucky shot," Lynn managed a smile.

  【System: +30?min survival -> +0.5 Luck (rounded down)】

  "Move—we need a new hideout before he heals." Lynn turned away.

  Skyler followed. Gunpowder and blood tainted the breeze—yet fear was gone.

  Replaced by something hot hammering in his chest:

  —I survived.